Expected Introduction of Two Rotating and One Fixed Therapy Machines
Seoul Asan Medical Center is introducing the state-of-the-art cancer treatment equipment, the 'Carbon Ion Therapy System,' and embarking on the realization of customized precision medicine for patients with intractable cancers.
On the 7th, Seoul Asan Medical Center signed a contract with the Toshiba ESS-DK Medical Solutions consortium from Japan to introduce the carbon ion therapy system and has begun preparations aiming for operation in 2031. With the introduction of the latest high-performance carbon ion therapy equipment capable of using multi-ion beams and a CT image-based precision targeting treatment system, it is expected to provide more cancer patients with diverse treatment opportunities.
Seoul Asan Medical Center plans to build the largest carbon ion therapy facility in Korea on its campus in Pungnap-dong, Songpa-gu, with a total floor area of 40,880 square meters (approximately 12,388 pyeong). It is expected to introduce two rotating therapy machines and one fixed therapy machine.
The carbon ion therapy system can be applied not only to prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer but also to lung cancer, sarcoma, kidney cancer, recurrent cancers, and other cancer types resistant to conventional treatments, making it an optimal treatment method for patients with intractable cancers.
The carbon ion therapy system is a cutting-edge treatment device that uses heavy particles such as carbon ions to remove cancer cells more precisely and powerfully. It works by irradiating cancer cells with a high-energy carbon ion beam, protecting normal tissues as much as possible while intensively destroying only cancerous tissues.
Seung-il Park, President of Seoul Asan Medical Center, said, "With the introduction of the carbon ion therapy system in 2031, we will have the largest advanced cancer treatment facility in Korea," adding, "We will do our best to expand treatment opportunities for patients with intractable cancers and contribute to the advancement of cancer treatment standards in Korea."
Meanwhile, Seoul Asan Medical Center treats more than 1.1 million cancer patients annually and performs about 20,000 cancer surgeries. This means that one out of every eight cancer patients in Korea receives treatment at Seoul Asan Medical Center.
Additionally, it has been recognized for its excellence as a global cancer hospital, ranking 5th in the 2025 World's Best Hospitals for Cancer evaluation conducted by the U.S. news magazine Newsweek.
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